I often think of the words of Alfred Mercier, “What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” I marvel at how true that statement is! It also reminds me of an experience I had...

One of the fastest ways I know to improve and unify the tone quality of a clarinet section is to remember the wisdom found in a very, very, very old saying. Though the wording...

“When one door closes, another opens. Or you can open the closed door. That's how doors work.” I read this anonymous quote the other day and laughed until my sides hurt. I...

I was walking down the sidewalk toward the main doors of a school the other day on my way to do a clinic with their bands. Just a few feet before the doors I noticed words...

I know the advice I am about to offer will garner great dissent. But I simply have to share it nonetheless. I am not trying to trample on tradition, but rather offer what I think...

The older I get, the more I realize the power of, and absolute necessity for our words to be actionable. I can’t begin to count the number of times I have stood in front of an...

When it comes to the essence of education, I often reflect on the wisdom of the Dalai Lama XIV: “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But, if you listen,...

Teachers are an amazing lot. Equal parts talent, perseverance, patience, wisdom, drive, passion, stamina, empathy, and about 200 other attributes. But we also all...

Orson Scott Card wrote: “To a man with only a hammer, a screw is a defective nail.” Far too often over the years I have found it easy to use the success and progress of most...